So The Story Goes (Dead Reckoning series - Part 50)

Continued from Episode 49 (Family Affair)

The story so far:  It's the final episode!  Of course, we need to explain how we got here, so, here goes:  Josiah's 'on the rebound' romance with the woman he thought was his old flame, Jeanette DeVille, proved to be with her twin sister, Nenette, and led to him and Archibald being left for dead in the rapidly rising waters of the cellar of Evanley Hall.  Since then, there has been much to occupy the Merkin-under-Heathwood police force, not least the apparent suicide of a young man in the local reservoir (last seen in the company of Precious DeVille - Nenette's supposed daughter) and then the further apparent suicides of Nenette and her 'driver' Hames.  The common denominator in all of these deaths appears to be Precious, who made a surprise reappearance, fetchingly dressed in lingerie, in Archibald's hotel room, a room he thought he had been given as a Secret Santa gift from Josiah.  Now Archibald is missing, along with two operatives from the rival firm of Cadwallader and Carruthers.  CCTV has shown Precious and the men from Cadwallader and Carruthers leaving the hotel in a van, with a body bag and Samantha and the Detectives have separately realised just where she might be heading!  Following a call from Precious, threatening Archibald's life, Josiah  arrived at Evanley Hall, only to encounter an open grave and the flat side of a shovel.  Samantha rushed to Jeannie's cottage to ask her to help and the Detectives, realising where she might have gone, are rushing to stop her doing anything impetuous.  Meanwhile, Jeannie and Samantha went up to the Hall to find out what is going on.  When it became clear that Josiah was in danger from Precious, Samantha wanted to take her down but Jeannie stopped her because she didn't want her possible daughter hurt.  Instead, Jeannie floored Precious with a flying tackle but was shot in the process.  The Detectives arrived just in time to sort everything out but Jeannie and Josiah were both left seriously injured and Archibald unconscious.  Fortunately, Archibald made a good recovery and was kept in hospital under observation.  Josiah and Jeannie's injuries were more long-lasting and Josiah had to be kept in a medically induced coma for a while.  Jeannie agreed to tell the Detectives everything she knew, but only if Precious was brought out of custody to hear it.  In a dramatic scene, Jeannie revealed that she and Nenette had been orphaned and brought up by their grandfather, Shepherd Mountjoy, at Evanley Hall.  When they reached their teens, Jeannie had been raped by her grandfather and became pregnant.  The baby, now known as Precious, had been whisked away by the grandfather with Jeannie never seeing her daughter.  Precious, of course, refused to believe any of this.  Now read on:

So The Story Goes

“Please, be careful, Jeannie” Samantha warned, in a worried voice.
“Ah, dunner fuss yerself, I’ll be right” Jeannie stomped through her cottage door, clearing a path with her two arm crutches.
“Yes, I’m sure but this place is very cluttered and, what with that and the cats…” Samantha shook her head as she followed Jeannie into the cottage, step by painful step.
“I know me way ‘round, dunner fret” Jeannie muttered, “Shift, yer little buggers!”
“It certainly is not ‘wheelchair-friendly’, if that is the correct terminology?”  Josiah was struggling to get his conveyance through the narrow front door.
“Don’t struggle to get through on your own, Josiah!  I told you I would help”
“There’s really no need, Samantha.  I have to be able to manage on my own” Josiah said, grimly, as he reversed and swivelled.
“Hopefully it won’t be too long before you’re back on your feet” Samantha grabbed the arms of the wheelchair and tugged, dragging Josiah into the hall.
“I ‘OPE ‘E’S NOT SCRATCHIN’ ME DOOR?” Jeannie shouted from the kitchen.
“She’s really not great at gratitude, is she?” Samantha sighed.
“She has a somewhat, erm… robust attitude to interpersonal relations” Josiah agreed.
“Are your cats ok, Jeannie?  I arranged for one of your neighbours to come in and feed them while you were in hospital” Samantha made her way into the kitchen.
“Ar, well, I ain’t seen all on ‘em, but them as is ‘ere, they seems alright” Jeannie grudgingly agreed.  “I s’pose yer’ll want a cup a tea?”
“That would be nice but we won’t stop long, will we Josiah?” Samantha looked pointedly at him, “We just wanted to make sure you were settled back in, after dropping you off”
“’Course, it’d ‘elp if I knew where the bloody kettle was!” Jeannie said, opening cupboards, furiously.
“I did pop in and tidy up a bit” Samantha admitted.
“Knew some bugger ‘ad been meddlin’” Jeannie chuntered.
“I think you might be a little grateful for Samantha’s help, Jeanette” Josiah said, sharply, as he manoeuvred into the kitchen, “I know we would both still be stuck in hospital without her support”
“Ar, well, ‘appen!” Jeannie conceded, reluctantly.
“Ahem, may we come in?” D.I. Wood tapped on the wide-open door.
“Detective Inspector?  Fancy seeing you here!” Samantha said, with surprise.
“We just wanted to make sure that Ms. DeVille here was ok, and also to bring her up to date with our investigation” D.I. Wood explained, seating himself at the kitchen table whilst D.S. Stone hovered near the doorway.
“Shouldna think there’s much to investigate, is there?” Jeannie muttered, banging the kettle onto the stove.
“Well, the facts of the case are not under dispute, that’s true” D.I. Wood agreed, reflexively reaching for a cigarette and then shoving the packet back into his pocket, grudgingly.  “But certain new information has emerged”
“Tea?” Jeannie grunted, pouring water into the ancient teapot.
“Yes, please, that would hit the spot, it’s a long drive here” D.I. Wood nodded.
“I know, I did all the driving!” D.S. Stone grumbled.  D.I. Wood shot him a look.
Teas poured, Jeannie slumped into her usual seat, by the fire.
“So, what you gotta tell us then?” She asked, blowing furiously on her tea.
“Well, we’ve interviewed the woman known as Precious at some length, now” D.S. Stone explained, “We’ve been trying to discover the motivation for her actions”
“Apart from being barking, that is” D.I. Wood added, “Got any biscuits?”  Jeannie nodded toward a tin on one of the shelves.
“I could just about understand her animosity toward me,” Josiah said, reflectively, “but I fail to understand why she would want to harm Archibald or, for that matter, the others which she’s alleged to have murdered?”
“Yeah, that stumped us, too” D.I. Wood agreed, munching on a biscuit.
“From what she’s told us…” D.S. Stone began.
“Thank you, Sergeant, I’ll take it from here” D.I. Wood scowled at his colleague.  “From what Precious has told us, Mr. Thurble was just collateral damage.  She actually seemed to have a soft spot for him, believe it or not?” D.I. Wood shook his head, incredulously, “When Nenette and Hames tried to drown you both, she didn’t feel able to intervene, but did what she could to help, or so she says?”
“She did make some efforts to bring us water to drink, that’s true” Josiah nodded.
“Then, drugging Mr. Thurble later, to lure you, Mr. Oakshott, up to the Hall, she made sure he was unharmed.  Which is more than she did for you!”  D.S. Stone added.
“What was that business with Nenette and Hames about?  And that other boy you said she had killed?” Josiah asked.
“Well, it seems…” D.S. Stone began.
“It seems…” D.I. Wood glared, “that she was trying to create some sort of a family for herself.  She thought Nenette was you, Jeannie, as we know.  Hames, she thought, could be some form of father figure and Jimmy, well, she had this notion that he could be a sort of footman or something in her Stately Home fantasy.  When he wouldn’t play ball, he had to go, of course”
“An’ what about me sister, Nenette?” Jeannie asked.
“Apparently, her and Hames weren’t into playing Happy Families much, either” D.I. Wood extracted another biscuit, “They were more interested in ripping off High Street Jewellers and similar scams.  That wasn’t what Precious wanted, so…”
“Yer kin understand, a bit, can’t yer?” Jeannie mused, slurping her tea, “’Er wantin’ a family, like?”  She shrugged.
“She’s still in denial about you and Mr. Oakshott” D.S. Stone commented, “and, of course, about the business with your grandfather.  That’s despite the DNA test we did proving conclusively that she’s your daughter”
“Yeah, werl, it’s a lot to take in, I guess.” Jeannie nodded, “I’d…I’d like to visit ‘er, if that’s allowed?” She added, quietly.
“What?  She tried to kill you…and Mr. Oakshott!”  D.I. Wood fumed.
“I know but…even so” Jeannie mumbled and shrugged “I’m all she’s got”
“Well, she would have to agree” D.I. Wood scratched his head and looked astonished, “We’ll have to see”
“What a mess!”  Samantha shook her head.
“You can say that again, Mrs. Knight” D.I. Wood nodded.
“It’s not”
“What’s not?”  D.I. Wood looked puzzled.
“It’s not ‘Mrs. Knight’”
“Oh, right, fair enough” D.I. Wood held his hands up in mock surrender, “Ms. Knight then!”
“No, it’s not that, either” Samantha grinned, “In fact, it’s not ‘Knight’ at all.  It’s ‘Taylor’”
“Taylor?” D.I. Wood looked confused.
“Yes, I’ve reverted to my birth name, now that my divorce has come through”
“Divorce?  I had no idea!” Josiah looked startled.
“The papers came in this morning’s post, Josiah” Samanth patted his hand, “I didn’t want to tell you, not until I was absolutely sure.  You know how difficult Frankie can be.”
“Oh…that’s…wonderful, Samantha” Tears filled Josiah’s eyes. “Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, for some weeks now…”
“I know, Josiah, and the answer’s yes, I would love to marry you” Samantha grinned broadly.
“How did you know?” Josiah asked, hoarsely.
“I just knew!  I was hoping you wouldn’t ask until I had finalised everything to do with the divorce.  So, right now is perfect” She kissed Josiah lightly on the forehead.
“Oh, give me strength!” D.I. Wood rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
“There is a condition, though” Samantha said.
“A condition?” Josiah looked surprised.
“Yep.  You have to have Archie as your Best Man…”
“Oh, really?” Josiah looked concerned.
“That’s right.” Samantha said, emphatically, “And, given everything he’s been through, not to mention what he’s done for you, in the last few months, I think he deserves a promotion, don’t you?”
“If you say so, my dear” Josiah nodded, “Actually, you’re quite right.  I have rather taken Archibald for granted”
“Nice to ‘ear summat’s goin’ right fer some bugger” Jeannie nodded and smiled, “Should think all this malarkey’s been a feather in yer cap, ‘an all, ‘annit, Inspector?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” D.I. Wood grinned, “given the number of murders and ancillary crimes solved in just one case, the powers-that-be, and my gaffer in particular, are very happy indeed.  And I should say, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that my application for a secondment has been approved, as I had intended to tell my Sergeant on the way home”
“Secondment, sir?”  D.S. Stone looked puzzled, “Not…surely not…to the Caribbean?”
“In a manner of speaking, Stoney!” D.I. Wood could not have grinned more broadly if he had tried, “I’ve got a 6 month research secondment in the Bahamas”
“You jammy…” D.S. Stone bit his lip.
“Now then, no jealousy, Sergeant.  You know how it is, with rank comes certain privileges” D.I. Wood looked unbearably pleased with himself.
“Yes, but…who was it rescued them from drowning, eh?” D.S. Stone fumed, pointing at Josiah.
“Just the luck of the draw, Stoney” D.I. Wood leaned back and put his hands behind his head, “If anything goes wrong, it’s me that gets the brickbats, so it’s only right that I should get any rewards that are coming”
“And what is the subject of this ‘research secondment’?” D.S. Stone asked, coolly.
“Ah, erm, well…it’s mostly…logistical, in nature”
“Logistical?”
“Yes, to do with, erm…traffic mostly.  You know, patterns and stuff” D.I.O Wood admitted, bashfully.
“Oh my god!  You’re going to be on traffic duty, aren’t you?” D.S. Stone sniggered.
“No!” D.I. Wood snapped, “Well, not all of the time”
“Ha!” D.S. Stone snorted.
“Anyway, I think we’ve covered everything we need to here, for the time being” D.I. Wood sprang up, showering biscuit crumbs on the floor, “We’ll be in touch, ma’am” He nodded to Jeannie and swept out of the room, with a sniggering D.S. Stone in tow.
“We should be going too, Jeannie, if you’re sure there’s nothing else we can do for you?” Samantha stood up, smoothing her skirt.
“Nah, yer all right” Jeannie shook her head, “I’ll manage”
Samantha wheeled Josiah to the cottage door.
“We’ll come back soon, make sure you’re managing ok” Samanth went to hug Jeannie, who backed away at first, then, with obvious awkwardness, deigned to be hugged.
“Ta” She said, with a catch in her voice, “it’s good of yer.  And mind, Josiah, yer’ve got a good ‘un ‘ere, dunna spoil it!”
“I know, Jeanette” Josiah smiled, “I don’t intend to”
“Ah, well, mind yer don’t, else yer’ll ‘ave me to reckon to”
“Bye then, Jeannie.  I hope you get to visit Precious, if that’s what you really want” Samantha waved as they made their way down the uneven garden path.
“Aye, it is” Jeannie nodded, thoughtfully, “They reckon it runs in families, don’t they?”
“I’m sorry, what does?” Samantha turned and frowned.
“Twins!” Jeannie said and shut the cottage door with a thud.

Thank you so much for following this saga.  I do hope you've enjoyed it!  This entire series will appear shortly in a paperback and Kindle novel but, in the meantime, you can find a lot more from Josiah and Archibald, including the prequel novel to this series, in The Undertakers collection.